The New Jersey Division of Taxation has updated its “Frequently Asked Questions” guidance pertaining to changes for determining nexus for sales and use tax purposes for remote sellers based outside the state. In response to the U.S. Supreme Court case of South Dakota v. Wayfair, New Jersey enacted P.L. 2018, c.132, which imposes sales tax collection and remittance requirements on remote sellers with sales that exceed the new nexus threshold. The new threshold is either: (1) the remote seller’s gross revenue from sales of tangible personal property, specified digital products or services delivered into New Jersey during the current or prior calendar year exceeds $100,000; or (2) the remote sellers sold tangible personal property, specified digital products, or services delivered into New Jersey in 200 or more separate transactions during the current or prior calendar year.

The Division’s guidance provides additional clarity on the following key points:

The nexus changes took effect beginning on November 1, 2018 and are not applied retroactively to prior periods.

In computing the $100,000 sales threshold for nexus, all sales delivered into the state are included—this includes nontaxable retail sales as well.

The New Jersey Division of Taxation has recently created a webpage with a host of different guidance documents and FAQs the Division has put together to answer questions and provide more clarity on combined reporting, the new surtax, GILTI treatment and other corporate income tax changes.

Ted Zangari, chair of the Redevelopment Law Practice Group at Sills Cummis & Gross P.C. in Newark, is one of the most prominent public incentives and real estate attorneys in the state. His law firm colleague Jaime Reichardt chairs the firm’s state and local tax practice and has advised clients on all sorts of complicated federal and state taxation issues.

After weeks of negotiation and discussion regarding competing tax proposals in Trenton, a deal has been struck on the state budget and tax reform by Governor Phil Murphy and legislative leaders. The result is a host of business tax changes enacted as part of Assembly Bills A-3088, A-3438 and A-4202. Here is a summary of some of the major business tax changes set to take effect in New Jersey:

Tax Amnesty

A-3438 provides for a 90-day tax amnesty period to run through no later than January 15, 2019.

Under the new amnesty, any taxpayer with liabilities for returns due on or after February 1, 2009, can pay the tax, plus half the interest due as of November 1, 2018 and avoid any penalties with the exception of criminal and civil fraud penalties.

An eligible taxpayer cannot be notified of or be under criminal action or investigation.

The new law also imposes a 5 percent non-participation penalty for liabilities eligible for amnesty that are subsequently discovered by the Division of Taxation.

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the state and local tax world which overturns precedent going back to 1992. The decision, South Dakota v. Wayfair, No.17-494 (June 21, 2018), means that state and local taxing jurisdictions throughout the country can now compel online sellers to collect sales tax for sales made to customers in that particular state or local jurisdiction, even if the seller does not have a presence there.

In February 2018, the New Jersey Tax Court delivered another blow to the Division of Taxation’s (the “Division”) attempts to use partnership income tax withholding to tax out-of-state limited partners. In so doing, the Tax Court has arguably called into question New Jersey’s entire partnership remittance or withholding regime.

Case Discussion

In National Auto Dealers Exchange, L.P. v. Director, Division of Taxation, No. 000028-2014, the Tax Court held that the Division could not impose the partnership remittance in accordance with N.J.S.A. 54:10A-15.11 on a limited partnership whose 99-percent corporate limited partner declared that it maintained a regular place of business in New Jersey.

Late last week, the governors of New York and Pennsylvania submitted their selections for opportunity zone designations to the U.S. Department of Treasury. Those nominations are expected to be approved by Treasury to take advantage of the new federal tax incentive program. The federal Opportunity Zone program is a new tax incentive designed to direct investor capital into various low-income and distressed areas around the country. The program affords investors the opportunity to defer and reduce capital gains that are invested in opportunity funds. In addition, an investor who holds an interest in an opportunity fund for 10 years or more does not pay any tax on the gain when the opportunity fund investment is sold or transferred. Additional details can be found in an earlier article we published here.

We will continue to keep you updated as more details emerge on this transformative program, including expected guidance from the Internal Revenue Service regarding qualified opportunity fund certification and qualified opportunity zone property.

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund has just released the list of New Jersey’s approved Opportunity Zones. The Opportunity Zones are identified by specific census tracts provided below.

The federal Opportunity Zone program is a new tax incentive designed to direct investor capital into various low-income and distressed areas around the country. On March 21, Governor Murphy submitted New Jersey’s list of eligible census tracts seeking Opportunity Zone designation.

New Opportunities for Urban and Distressed Areas

The newly enacted federal Opportunity Zone program could be a game changer for economic development and tax incentive policy here in New Jersey and across the country. The program provides a new avenue for directing investment into certain urban and distressed areas with significant tax benefits.

The Opportunity Zone program was enacted as part of the recently signed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and provides an opportunity to defer current capital gains and reduce future gains for investing in certain funds organized to direct capital into businesses and property based in the specified zones. The designated zones are selected by the Governor of each state from certain eligible low-income community census tracts, or those eligible for New Market Tax Credit projects.

About our State and Local Tax Practice

The Sills Cummis & Gross State and Local Tax Practice assists clients with navigating a full-range of issues across different tax types, such as: corporate income tax, franchise tax, personal income tax, sales and use tax, gross receipts tax, local franchise/business privilege or earned income tax, realty transfer tax, personal property tax and unclaimed property.